Dear fellow Citizen wannabees/Fellow Citizens/others,
It is with pleasure I report that my wife and I are proud U.S. Citizens today.
Original interview related post is pasted below.
Details:
Reached the Peter Rodino Federal bldg. at 9:45 AM for our 10:00 AM oath appt.
After airport-style security checks, went straight to the 15th floor. Guard asked us to go to window 1 where they said if we were there for oath ceremony go to window # 7. Submitted our oath appointment letters and were asked to wait. Sat for around 40 mins. During this time, the room was already full (interviews as well as oath ceremony people) and they were calling people one by one to submit their Greencards and sign on the Citizenship certificate as well as copy of it.
We were called after 40 mins and we did the same. After this, they told us to go to the oath room where they played a short video on the U.S. and then made us take the oath. Were handed our Naturalization certificates afterwards.
We were out by 12:15 PM. After that, went to the 10th floor to the Social Security office and informed them about our changed statuses. We will get new SSN cards in the mail (number stays the same)
It has been a 10yr long journey folks ! Today however comes as a big relief. No more dealings with the USCIS. Not that I have anything against them however too much paperwork and anxiety was involved. Especially during the pre-greencard days.
Below is an approximate timeline:
H1: June 2000
Labor filed: July 2001
Labor cleared: Jan 2004 (after several RFEs)
I140/485 cleared: November 2004
Applied for N400: Sept. 22 2009
FPs in November
Interview: Jan 12th
Oath Ceremony: Feb. 23rd
Proud U.S. Citizen !!
-PunetoNJ.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Almost done !! Interview experience at Newark, NJ today Jan 12th
Friends,
My wife and I are almost US citizens.
Further to everyone's advice yesterday, our interview was scheduled @ 7:40 AM.
Went there (970 Broad St.) @ 7:15 AM. Doors opened at 7:30 AM.
Went to floor 15. Guard asked to show ID and interview letter and directed us to Window # 1.
At window 1, they took our interview letters and asked us to wait.
10 mins later, my wife's name was called and she went in. Came out 20 mins. afterwards. Said she was recommended for citizenship. They asked her 6 questions and asked to show GC and ppt. No other documents were asked. She mentioned the IO just went thru the application.
I had to wait a further 40 mins after which my name was called.
Went in. Gentleman was nice but to the point. Asked to raise right hand and swear to tell the truth.
Asked to show my ppt, C and DL. Went thru the form. Asked whether I had trips more than 6 months. Looked at my speeding ticket info. Didn't ask for disposition which I had. My wife had 4 tickets but no dispositions asked for.
I guess we were lucky. There's always a chance they'll ask this kind of info.
Asked 6 questions afterwards.. got them all right.
1) 3 branches of govt (I thought they were supposed to only ask for one branch
2) What does the president's cabinet do
3) How many justices (9)
4) If president /vp can no longer serve, who becomes president
5) Why did the colonists come to US
6) What does the judicial branch do
At the end of it, made me sign all over, on photos. Asked will you take oath to which I replied due to family emergency, have to travel to India and will do so after I come back. He said by when would I be back.. I said after Feb. 10th. He made a note on a yellow sticky and wrote that due to emergency, has to travel therefore postpone oath. Wife was told the same thing during the interview. They wouldn't let us choose the date. The date will be according to their choosing. They mentioned it would be sometime in March. We said fine.
All in all, very pleasant experience for both of us. Surprisingly, not much was
asked in terms of documents. I had sweated over this quite a bit and took
all sorts of paperwork. I guess better to be safe than sorry.
So the citizenship journey is almost over... just waiting for the oath now.
It has been an almost 10 year journey. Ours was based upon 5 years on GC.
Thanks to everyone in this forum for their invaluable help.
Will advise after taking oath.
Cheers !!!
-PunetoNJ.
It is with pleasure I report that my wife and I are proud U.S. Citizens today.
Original interview related post is pasted below.
Details:
Reached the Peter Rodino Federal bldg. at 9:45 AM for our 10:00 AM oath appt.
After airport-style security checks, went straight to the 15th floor. Guard asked us to go to window 1 where they said if we were there for oath ceremony go to window # 7. Submitted our oath appointment letters and were asked to wait. Sat for around 40 mins. During this time, the room was already full (interviews as well as oath ceremony people) and they were calling people one by one to submit their Greencards and sign on the Citizenship certificate as well as copy of it.
We were called after 40 mins and we did the same. After this, they told us to go to the oath room where they played a short video on the U.S. and then made us take the oath. Were handed our Naturalization certificates afterwards.
We were out by 12:15 PM. After that, went to the 10th floor to the Social Security office and informed them about our changed statuses. We will get new SSN cards in the mail (number stays the same)
It has been a 10yr long journey folks ! Today however comes as a big relief. No more dealings with the USCIS. Not that I have anything against them however too much paperwork and anxiety was involved. Especially during the pre-greencard days.
Below is an approximate timeline:
H1: June 2000
Labor filed: July 2001
Labor cleared: Jan 2004 (after several RFEs)
I140/485 cleared: November 2004
Applied for N400: Sept. 22 2009
FPs in November
Interview: Jan 12th
Oath Ceremony: Feb. 23rd
Proud U.S. Citizen !!
-PunetoNJ.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Almost done !! Interview experience at Newark, NJ today Jan 12th
Friends,
My wife and I are almost US citizens.
Further to everyone's advice yesterday, our interview was scheduled @ 7:40 AM.
Went there (970 Broad St.) @ 7:15 AM. Doors opened at 7:30 AM.
Went to floor 15. Guard asked to show ID and interview letter and directed us to Window # 1.
At window 1, they took our interview letters and asked us to wait.
10 mins later, my wife's name was called and she went in. Came out 20 mins. afterwards. Said she was recommended for citizenship. They asked her 6 questions and asked to show GC and ppt. No other documents were asked. She mentioned the IO just went thru the application.
I had to wait a further 40 mins after which my name was called.
Went in. Gentleman was nice but to the point. Asked to raise right hand and swear to tell the truth.
Asked to show my ppt, C and DL. Went thru the form. Asked whether I had trips more than 6 months. Looked at my speeding ticket info. Didn't ask for disposition which I had. My wife had 4 tickets but no dispositions asked for.
I guess we were lucky. There's always a chance they'll ask this kind of info.
Asked 6 questions afterwards.. got them all right.
1) 3 branches of govt (I thought they were supposed to only ask for one branch
2) What does the president's cabinet do
3) How many justices (9)
4) If president /vp can no longer serve, who becomes president
5) Why did the colonists come to US
6) What does the judicial branch do
At the end of it, made me sign all over, on photos. Asked will you take oath to which I replied due to family emergency, have to travel to India and will do so after I come back. He said by when would I be back.. I said after Feb. 10th. He made a note on a yellow sticky and wrote that due to emergency, has to travel therefore postpone oath. Wife was told the same thing during the interview. They wouldn't let us choose the date. The date will be according to their choosing. They mentioned it would be sometime in March. We said fine.
All in all, very pleasant experience for both of us. Surprisingly, not much was
asked in terms of documents. I had sweated over this quite a bit and took
all sorts of paperwork. I guess better to be safe than sorry.
So the citizenship journey is almost over... just waiting for the oath now.
It has been an almost 10 year journey. Ours was based upon 5 years on GC.
Thanks to everyone in this forum for their invaluable help.
Will advise after taking oath.
Cheers !!!
-PunetoNJ.